Minus the Bear + Tim Kasher + Dead Confederate

Seattle quintet Minus the Bear is so easy to write off as emo pop for kids, but the band is increasingly delving into complicated and nuanced songs. The group plays behind Omni, its fifth album. You know Tim Kasher as the leader of Cursive. On the new The Game of Monogamy (Saddle Creek), his solo debut, he turns his wry lyrics to poppier ground while giving the album a conceptual arc. Contemporary Southern rockers—think My Morning Jacket—Dead Confederate open.